The temperatures and humidity are on the rise around Pennsylvania, which can only mean one thing. Penn State football is coming.
Sure, we still have baseball and the summer to enjoy, but the start of a new college football season will creep up on you if you are not paying attention. As of today, there are just 100 days to go until Penn State plays its first game of the year. Penn State will begin the 2024 season on the road against West Virginia in the second game of a home-and-home series, and the atmosphere should be electric with both schools entering with high hopes for a successful fall.
But perhaps you haven’t been staying up to date on everything that has been going on with Penn State football this offseason. That’s OK. That’s why we are here!
For those who have not been plugged in, here is a quick overview of five things you should know about Penn State football going into the 2024 season.
James Franklin will have not one, not two, but THREE new coordinators working on his staff in 2024. This is the first time in Franklin’s career that he will have a new offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinator in the same year.
Andy Kotelnicki takes over as offensive coordinator after a late-season change at the position in 2023. Kotelnicki comes to Penn State after a successful stint with Kansas. Hopes are high for an improved offense under his leadership.
The defense will now be coached by former Indiana head coach Tom Allen, who replaces Manny Diaz after Diaz accepted an offer to become the head coach at Duke. Allen has a solid reputation as a defensive coach, so he should fit in nicely.
Justin Lustig is the new special teams coordinator. Lustig joins the Penn State staff from Vanderbilt and replaces Stacy Collins, who returned to Boise State to fill the same role.
If you haven’t been paying attention to the roster moves this offseason, then the wide receiver position will look very different to you in the fall. Last year’s leading receiver, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, has transferred to Auburn, and last year’s top transfer addition, Dante Cephas, left for Kansas State after just one season. Penn State has seen a few other receivers leave through the transfer portal as well.
Penn State has added to the position group out of the portal with the addition of former Ohio State receiver and Pennsylvania native Julian Fleming. But Penn State’s search for additional help at receiver has come up dry, leaving the younger players on the roster an opportunity to step up this fall.
New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki may have some work to do with the wide receiver group, and the offensive line loses three NFL draft picks in the trenches, but there are some key players back this fall.
It starts with quarterback Drew Allar, and his top backup option Beau Pribula. Expect Kotelnicki to find ways to get production out of each this fall. The running game is once again led by the combo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The tight end position is secure with the return of Tyler Warren, who will likely continue Penn State’s NFL draft line in 2025.
One of Penn State’s top players on the roster is changing positions this fall. That transition has already started as well. Abdul Carter, one of the top linebackers in the Big Ten last season, has moved to defensive end this offseason, following a growing trend of former Penn State linebackers at the next level.
Odafe Oweh and Micah Parsons have each transitioned to defensive end in the NFL, and Carter appears to be following that trend to help create havoc off the edge this season on defense. Of course, a move like this likely doesn’t happen without the coaching staff having confidence in the current linebacker lineup. The rise of Tony Rojas helps.
The 2024 season is a big one for college football for a number of reasons. The theme is expansion as the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC are all adding members effective this season. The Big Ten and Big 12 put the Pac-12 on the brink of extinction with their expansion moves. The Big Ten will be welcoming Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington this season. With the additions, the Big Ten has done away with its division format and the Big Ten championship game will pair the two teams with the best conference record during the regular season.
Penn State will face three of those new members this fall. Penn State will visit USC and host UCLA and Washington this season. Penn State will not face Oregon in the regular season until 2025.
The College Football Playoff is also expanding this season, supposedly making it easier for the Nittany Lions to get into the playoffs than ever before. The playoff field is growing from four teams to 12, with first-round matchups being played on campus sites (which Penn State is preparing for as a possibility). The top four seeds will get a bye week and quarterfinal and semifinal matchups will be played in the traditional New Years Six bowl games. The national championship game will be played in Atlanta on Jan. 20.
But it all starts for Penn State on Saturday, August 31 with a road game at West Virginia. The countdown is on at 100 days and counting.
You can see the full 2024 Penn State football schedule here, and check out these early game-by-game predictions.